Eileen Gu fell for a third time at the Winter Olympics on Thursday as the backlash over her decision to represent China over the United States continues to shroud her Games.
The skiing star, 22, who has won a pair of silvers so far at the Games, was back in action for her third event in Milan-Cortina as she looked to defend her Olympic title in the women’s halfpipe final.
But Gu had to overcome another shaky start, suffering a gnarly fall on the third trick of her first run in qualification.
She clipped the lip of the halfpipe, knocking her left ski off and sending her skittering to the bottom of the course.
The trick the freeskier fell on was a 720-degree spin that started with a right-side turn down the mountain. It’s a jump she can do in her sleep, one part of the ‘B’ material she pulls out for qualifying rounds.
The error set up a pressure-laden second attempt, but she came up clutch once again. She didn’t go conservative and laid down a run full of risky tricks that earned her 86.50 points, enough to make it into the final.
She ended up qualifying fifth, which means she’ll drop in the middle of the pack on Saturday, where she’ll compete for the final Olympic medals being awarded at the Livigno Snow Park.
Gu’s fall in qualifying made her three for three at the Games: three events, three falls in qualifying, three clutch comebacks to secure her spot in the final.
The Team China athlete’s struggles have come amid a storm of controversy, with her decision to compete under the Five-Star Red Flag making her a target for criticism from Americans.
And Gu admitted following qualifying on Thursday that she has felt like a ‘punching bag’ throughout these Olympic Games in Italy.
‘I do,’ she said when asked if she feels ‘like a bit of a punching bag for a certain strand of American politics’, per USA Today.
‘So many athletes compete for a different country. … People only have a problem with me doing it because they kind of lump China into this monolithic entity, and they just hate China. So it’s not really about what they think it’s about.
‘And also, because I win. Like if I wasn’t doing well, I think that they probably wouldn’t care as much, and that’s OK for me. People are entitled to their opinions.’
Earlier this month, Gu claimed that she was assaulted at Stanford University after deciding against competing for Team USA in international competitions.
Gu told The Athletic last week that her decision to compete for China angered many Americans, who saw her as disloyal.
‘Physically assaulted on the street,’ Gu told The Athletic. ‘The police were called.
‘I’ve had death threats,’ she added. ‘I’ve had my dorm robbed.’
She also claimed that a petition, started by the parents of Chinese-American students, was launched to keep her out of the school.
Gu, whose mother is from China, enrolled at Stanford in the fall of 2022.
The Daily Mail has sought further comment from Stanford police and school spokespeople, who referred the request to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office. The Athletic, meanwhile, did not hear back from Stanford’s public safety office.
A Stanford spokesperson also released a statement to the Daily Mail, although not specifically about Gu.
‘Stanford University’s top priority is the safety and well-being of every member of our community,’ the statement began.
‘Our dedicated Department of Public Safety (DPS) is committed to creating a safe and secure environment for everyone on campus. In addition to DPS, students have multiple mechanisms through which they can report incidents of concern and receive support from the university.
‘We take pride in the rich diversity of perspectives that thrive here and actively promote and protect the free and open exchange of ideas.’
Gu has explained her decision, both to the Athletic and on social media, by pointing to her following in China.
‘In the US growing up, I had so many idols to look up to,’ she told The Athletic. ‘But in China, I feel like there are a lot fewer of those. I’d have a much greater impact in China than in the US, and that’s ultimately why I made my decision.’
And that following has paid dividends for Gu, who has earned more than $23 million in endorsement deals, according to Forbes.
